Of Ladies' Maids and Valets
by Crusher1701
Summary: More of the Shocking the Servants series, this time it's the maids and valets. Thanks to my lovely beta settees-under-siege, you are amazing and very helpful.
1. Thomas

_Author's Note: Alright, this fic will have precisely 7 chapters. Chapter two is O'Brien. That's all I'm saying for now. Huzzah for more of Cora and Robert shocking the servants! Thank you to my darling, splendid, terrific and fabulous beta settees-under-siege. You are a doll and I love you. _

_March 1912_

Thomas could not believe the nerve of some people. Mr. Watson had just left his job, leaving Mr. Carson no choice but to make Thomas look after His Lordship. Thomas hated the pompous snob, yet he would do anything to gain more power as a servant, so he bit his tongue. Not to mention he thought Her Ladyship was always notably lusting after her husband. When Thomas had dressed His Lordship for bed the previous night, he had gone straight into Her Ladyship's bedroom, and when Thomas had gone up that morning, he still hadn't come back from Her Ladyship's bed. From what he had heard from Miss. O'Brien, he always stayed in his wife's room, all night. And the bed was always a mess too. Thomas laughed, not envying Miss O'Brien and what she had to go through all the time.

Thomas continued doing his job, pretending to really like His Lordship. It wasn't that difficult. It's not like His Lordship ignored him as he was dressing him, the two of them often engaged one another in conversation and His Lordship behaved like nothing was wrong with the fact that he went to his wife's bed every night. Thomas thought it was most improper, since it was no secret that the couple had married to save the estate. His Lordship's title in exchange for his American wife's money. It was a heartless reason to marry. Thomas knew though, that if he ever got married, it would not be for love at all. The world was a heartless place, and Thomas envied His Lordship and his happy marriage, his loving marriage. He resented happy couples, especially happy couples with bumpy beginnings.

He was simply doing his job and being courteous to his employer, so that he wouldn't get sacked. That was the last thing he wanted. He had been the stand-in valet to His Lordship for close to a week when he was bringing up some of His Lordship's evening shirts to the dressing room. He was putting them away when he heard a banging against the dividing door between the dressing room and Her Ladyship's bedroom. He stopped moving and went to the door to listen. He pressed his ear against it, seriously wondering what was going on. He hoped that nothing had happened, that nothing was wrong. His worry disappeared when he heard a giggle that obviously belonged to Her Ladyship. She wouldn't be giggling if she were injured.

"Oh Cora," he heard his Lordship's voice say, along with a few groans.

"Robert, harder," Her Ladyship pleaded. Thomas' eyes grew wide; he wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what was going on in that bedroom. But why against the door? They had a bed. He was shaken from his thoughts by more rhythmic thumping against the door, much harder and faster than before. Thomas pulled his ear from the door, stepping back, for it had been shaking against his face, and it was getting horribly uncomfortable.

"Cora, I'm going as hard as I can, unless you want the door broken," His Lordship grunted. Thomas' face crunched up in disgust. This was really improper.

"Break the door, Robert," Her Ladyship begged. "I need you." Thomas left the rest of the shirts that hadn't been put away on the bed and he left the room, scared in case the Lord of the House, in response to his Lady's begging, did break the door and they saw him standing there.

As scheming as Thomas was though, he considered the intimacy of Lord and Lady Grantham that he had overheard as a closely guarded secret. He would never tell a soul.


	2. O'Brien

_April 1914_

After almost 10 years in the Crawley's employ, Sarah O'Brien thought that nothing in the world could ever shock her about Lord and Lady Grantham. In the beginning, she had thought it strange that the two shared a bed and that His Lordship was always affectionate and loving towards his wife. They were an unusual couple in her eyes and nothing could shock Sarah O'Brien now. Or so she thought until that morning in early April.

The morning began as it always did. She got up, dressed, and went downstairs until the bell rang for her to bring up Her Ladyship's breakfast. So she left the Servant's Hall via to the kitchen to fetch it. She went up the stairs, knowing that His Lordship would have left his wife's bedroom by now. She knocked on the door and entered as she always did, nearly dropping the breakfast at the sight before her. Everything was normal about this morning, until she had walked into the bedroom. His Lordship had not left the bedroom yet. And instead, he had stayed and obviously was trying to scar her for eternity. He was on top of Her Ladyship, naked. The two were moving and making sounds. It was obvious that they were making love for there was no room for misinterpretation.

O'Brien was so shocked,she could not move a single muscle! She was glued to the spot, the breakfast tray nearly falling from her fingers. Her Ladyship rolled the two of them over, putting her on top. His Lordship grabbed her hips, assisting her in her movements. Her Ladyship let out a low moan, the couple very obviously oblivious to the maid standing in the room, until the tray hit the floor. The clatter made both Lord and Lady Grantham sharply turn their heads to see O'Brien standing there, frozen. Her Ladyship screamed, rolling off her husband and grabbing at the bed covers to cover the two of them. She didn't want anyone else seeing her husband naked, unless it was Bates. She didn't like him all that much, but more than she had liked Mr. Watson. Bates was loyal and Cora was alright with him seeing Robert in various states of undress. "O'Brien, why are you standing there?" His Lordship asked, holding the covers up to his neck. O'Brien moved her mouth, as if to speak, but no words, no sound, left her mouth. "Get out," His Lordship barked.

"But, Robert, the mess! I'm not cleaning it up," Her Ladyship groaned.

"Of course you're not! We'll ring for her and she can come clear it up," he said firmly, putting his arm around her. "I'd never make you clean up a mess." She turned her head and kissed him softly.

O'Brien left the room still feeling a bit stunned at what she'd seen. She shook her head as she heard a loud squeal come from the bedroom. _This has been the worst morning of my life_, she thought. _I dropped the tray because of their actions, and I have to clean it up. Typical of His Lordship to not be able to take the blame for his actions. I hate that man so much that I want him to lose everything good in his life._

O'Brien sat in the Servant's Hall until almost quarter to eleven until Her Ladyship rang for her. She sighed and asked Anna to help her clean up the mess. She agreed and the two made their way up to the bedroom, knocking, and waiting to be called before entering. His Lordship was _still_ in bed with his wife. Anna and O'Brien cleaned up the mess before Her Ladyship asked O'Brien to bring up tea for two. O'Brien nodded and left the room.

About four months later, the house found out that Her Ladyship was pregnant once again. And Sarah O'Brien was not shocked in the slightest.

_Author's Note: So, this event here, is sort of coinciding with the event of Cora and Robert's baby being conceived. Cora would have been very into Robert, and I can actually picture, in my mind, Cora distracting Robert for some terrific fun, even after she has rung for O'Brien. This fic is practically the only time I have ever felt bad for O'Brien. I have literally no sympathy for that woman. She's not like Thomas; he's misunderstood because of who he is, O'Brien is EVIL. Next chapter: Lang (the shell-shocked valet from series 2)_


	3. Lang

_May 1917 _

Andrew Lang had experienced a difficult life up until that point. He had grown up relatively poor, his parents, before they married had been a farm hand and a Ladies' Maid, and together they had raised him on a farm in the Southern part of Yorkshire. His parents did have a loving relationship, until his father died. Then the war had come and Andrew had gone off to fight, only to then suffer from shell-shock and be sent back to England. People in his hometown had sneered at him, calling him a coward because he wasn't fighting for their country. And he knew they wouldn't understand, even if he explained all the particulars to the few willing to listen because they didn't know how hellish the conditions really were on the front. The papers made very sure of that. Then he got the job at Downton as Lord Grantham's valet and his fortunes changed for the better. One evening, he decided to go and make sure His Lordship's clothes were ready for when he would be changing for dinner in about an hour.

He went upstairs and was walking along the hall, about to enter His Lordship's dressing room when he heard a loud _thump_. He furrowed his brow slightly, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. He gently pressed his ear against the door, listening. If His Lordship was in there, what if he had fallen and was injured? He listened for a moment before he began to hear gasps and groans come from inside the dressing room. He was about to burst in when he heard a voice call out in a relatively high pitch: "Robert." Lang thought for a moment. He was fairly certain that Lord Grantham's name was Robert, and that was possibly Her Ladyship's voice. Was Her Ladyship hurt? And if so, why would she be in her husband's dressing room? He listened and heard a responding: "Cora."

Lang's eyebrows shot higher up his forehead. They were in there together! He heard more groans, gasps and a few creaking noises as well. He knew precisely what was going on in that dressing room. He wanted to leave, but it was love he was hearing, and all he had heard in his head for so long the sounds of war. The sounds of passion and love were very much a welcome change in Andrew Lang's mind. He knew it was wrong to listen, but he had never heard a couple who were so in love who had been married as long as Lord and Lady Grantham had.

The sounds inside the room got louder and more passionate as time went on. He heard His Lordship call to his wife: "mine, all mine!" And every time, she would reply in a gasp: "all yours, my love."

He heard the two of them pant after a little while before both of them cried out and the bed ceased creaking. He heard the couple trying to catch their breaths afterwards, before His Lordship spoke again. "My love, you must get dressed and go back to your room. I'm sure the dressing gong is going to ring soon and we must be decent for O'Brien and Lang to dress us for dinner. I hate to part right now, this afternoon has been wonderful. I love you, my dearest."

"I love you too, Robert," he heard Her Ladyship say. "You know that. And I cannot think of a better way to spend the time between tea and dressing for dinner. You know I love being with you so much. Why did we ever stop making love like that?"

"The war has changed a lot, my love," he whispered. "It's changed our priorities. It's made you much more independent than you were before. It's allowed you to flourish in a new role, and it's told me that I'm an old fool who really ought to understand the good things he has in his life. Cora, I understand why you didn't want me to go to war. Looking at Lang. I see that. Now go my love, I'll be in shortly." A moment or so passed before he heard the dividing door open, the sound of a kiss and the door closing again. His employer's had changed him. For once since he began fighting in the war, he had heard the sounds of love.

_Author's Note: Lang doesn't get enough love, and personally, I don't understand how everyone seems to forget him so easily. He was a good guy who had been through unimaginable horrors. He did his duty and I think that he needs to have more love in this fandom, even simply hearing it happen between Robert and Cora. The only reason I made him listen in on them was simply because, in his mind, he can't get away from the war, but hearing this intimacy shows him that he isn't there anymore, which would have been a comfort. Next Chapter: Edna (I'm so sorry, but her chapter must be done too. Even though I hate her so much,less than I hate Green, but not by much and slightly less than I hate _that maid _that seduced Robert. Come to think of it, Green is the only character I hate more than _that maid_.)_


	4. Edna

_Early March 1922_

Edna Braithwaite was happy to be back at Downton Abbey, close to him again. Tom Branson, the handsome ex-chauffeur turned estate agent. Sure she hadn't seen much of him, instead she was busy taking care of Lord Grantham's rather high maintenance wife, Lady Grantham. She left the Servant's Hall after mending a few of Lady Grantham's nightgowns. Somehow they always managed to get ripped. Edna had her suspicions, but she'd never voice them, except to Barrow. She knew that his Lordship went to bed with his wife every night and rarely was he gone before she came in the next morning. Barrow usually made no comment when she told him this, she assumed that he knew. She walked up the servant's staircase and headed for the Mercia bedroom.

Upon entering the bedroom, she noticed that no one was in there. _Well, she just rang for me, _Edna thought. She looked about the room for a moment, noticing that the dividing door was open slightly. She heard her Ladyship's giggle float through from the other side and his Lordship's chuckle. "Cora, darling, you don't need to dress me, Bates will feel bad," he said.

"The poor man is sick Robert, you were right to send him home, I can manage," she replied. "Now, turn around, I need to fix your tie."

"I usually do this bit myself," his Lordship said.

"I certainly hope so," her Ladyship replied with a laugh. "Personally, I don't like the thought of Bates touching you like this, especially when I helped you with your trousers. I don't think Bates would touch you like that. Anna would get jealous."

"Barrow might, but not Bates." The couple burst into laughter for a few moments. "Now, you've rung for Braithwaite, and she'll be getting upstairs, you ought to go back to bed."

"I want a kiss first. Bates gets paid to dress you, I just want a kiss," she replied, snorting lightly. "Again, I think Bates would rather take the money than kiss you. I wouldn't want to cross Anna. She's sweet, but I bet she'd rip a grown man apart if she wanted to, if he really made her angry."

"Good point Cora," his Lordship said. "Now, that kiss."

Her Ladyship let out a small giggle as Edna approached the door. She barely saw his Lordship pull his wife into his arms and press a soft kiss to her lips. Edna felt she was seeing something she shouldn't, so she backed away and the last thing she saw was her Ladyship wrapping her arms around her husband. _If that nightgown is ripped, _Edna thought. _I won't be all that surprised. But honestly, at _their _age, they should take it easy. _She left the room and only returned when she heard the dividing door between the bedroom and the dressing room close.

_Author's Note: I didn't want Edna to really catch them in the act because I just hate her. Alright? So that's all she saw. But I'm writing a Thomas internal thought stream and I may post it somewhere. _


	5. Molesley

_January 1923_

Joseph Molesley was and always would be glad for a taste of his old life; either as a valet or a butler, so he was very pleased when Mr. Carson and Mr. Bates asked him to take over for a night with his Lordship while Mr. Bates and Anna went to London. His Lordship has approved of this idea since they hadn't had a honeymoon, and then Bates was arrested, after that the house was in mourning for Lady Sybil and Mr Crawley whose death tore Lady Mary seemingly in half and Anna refused to leave her. Following that, an invisible divide had seemingly come between them but after a period of time had evaporated just as quickly from whence it came, finally freeing them to make plans for their overdue honeymoon. It was only for three nights, but that was all they had wanted. Molesley couldn't be more glad that he had been chosen over James and Mr Barrow, the first footman and the under-butler. There must have been a reason.

The first night, he decided to go up before the gong to get everything ready for when his Lordship came upstairs to get dressed for dinner. He didn't want to let his Lordship down by not being able to find something. He approached the dressing room door, raising his hand to knock, in case his Lordship was inside when he heard a dull _thud _against Lady Grantham's bedroom door followed by a whimper.

_Well, that's odd, _Joseph thought before there was another _thud_ and her Ladyship's voice called out, 'Robert.' _What is going on? He can't be hurting her, he'd never do that, it's clear that he loves her far too much to let anyone hurt her, let alone him doing it. Unless they're..._

"Cora!" Joseph heard his Lordship groan, breaking his train of thought. "Oh. Cora!" Joseph's eyes widened before he realized that Lady Grantham was indeed not hurt. He went into the dressing room, positive that his Lordship was not in there. He tried his very best to ignore the the dull thudding and heavy breathing from the next room which came before the loud cries.

The dressing gong rung and about a minute after, his Lordship came in through the dividing door. "Ah, Molesley," Lord Grantham said, his face red and his breathing still irregular from his exertions. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but her Ladyship and I were reading and she wanted my opinion on what she should wear tonight."

"Not a problem, m'Lord," he replied. I was simply making sure that I knew where everything was." He helped his Lordship out of his jacket, noticing that his tie was twisted at the back as well as several red marks along his Lordship's throat. It took everything he had to not chuckle. Reading wasn't likely, but if they had been, the material must have been quite interesting.

After dressing his Lordship for dinner, Molesley went back to the Servant's Hall to sit down before going to attend to his footman duties during dinner. He sat next to Miss Baxter who barely acknowledged his presence. He had a feeling that her Ladyship had come up with some story to explain what had happened. He wondered for a moment if it was the same. Miss Baxter finally looked at him and the two of them burst into silent laughter, shaking their heads a few times.


	6. Baxter

_(AN: So, in doing research for my history essay, I came across the actual beginning of the London Season, and it started after Easter, and Easter in 1923 fell on the 1 April. So I changed the date. Thank you as always, to my lovely beta Shelley (settees-under-siege/countess-of-terrific-fun). I love you dear, as well as anyone who has read, reviewed or glanced at this story or any of my other works. Thank you. Anyways, this is the second last chapter for this fic. The last one is for Bates, and it spans the entire show, which means it'll probably be quite a long chapter. Enjoy Baxter my Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen (if there are even any guys reading this, which I doubt))_

April 1923

Phyllis Baxter had worked at Downton Abbey for less than a year, and already she fully understood how the house ran at all times. It had been difficult, since the houses she had worked in before were much smaller, with less servants. It hadn't taken long to grasp the fact that Lord and Lady Grantham slept together in the same bed every night, and after a whole month of having to mend her nightgown every other morning, she caught onto the fact that the couple didn't just sleep together; They were still in a very intimate relationship that one wouldn't usually find in married aristocrats who had been married especially as long as they had been.

It was the morning after they had arrived in London for the season. It was bound to be extremely busy, seeing as it was to be Lady Rose's presentation, and when the family and staff had arrived in London, Baxter could tell that Lady Grantham already looked very stressed. Lady Grantham rang for her earlier than usual, and when she went to prepare her mistress for bed, she noticed that she looked much more tired than she should already, since they would all remain at Grantham House until they returned to Yorkshire in July. She could tell that Lady Grantham didn't want to talk, so she kept as quiet as possible, going about her work. Baxter was braiding her hair when Lord Grantham came into the room. Lady Grantham's eyes sought out her husband's reflection in the mirror and she smiled tiredly. "Hello darling," she said quietly.

"Hello," he replied. "Baxter, I can take over now, if you want to go down. And could you tell Bates that he can go to bed as well?"

"Of course, your Lordship," Baxter replied as Lord Grantham approached her, taking his wife's hair to finish braiding it. The couple smiled and Baxter left the room, heading straight for the servant's staircase to get downstairs. As soon as she arrived, she sought out Mr Bates and told him that it was alright for the two of them to go to bed. He nodded and wished her a good night. She left moments later.

***  
>The next morning, Baxter sat in the London servant's hall with Mr Bates, waiting for Lord and Lady Grantham to ring for them. They had both finished their breakfasts and they were sitting there in an awkward silence, knowing that if they said anything, Mr Barrow would probably sit down and interrupt, wanting to know what was going on. Neither of them would tell of course, but just to be on the safe side, they kept quiet.<p>

Baxter turned to Mr Bates, sick of sitting in silence. "I'm going to go and check the linen cupboard is fully organized," she said. Mr Bates nodded.

"It might be best if you do. They're busier than usual now, so I don't blame them in the slightest," he said thoughtfully, speaking of her real reason for going. "Though, there's a part of me that's wondering whether they're sleeping or being a married couple." Baxter started giggling lightly, Mr Bates going so far as to grin.

Baxter went upstairs, walking down the hall towards the linen closet near her Ladyship's bedroom, half-surprised when she heard tiny giggles floating from the room. She paused by the door, waiting to knock and listening intently for any sign of movement and thus a clue as to when she'd be needed. "Oh, Robert darling, I just woke up," Lady Grantham murmured.

"And?" Lord Grantham's voice floated from the bedroom. "I've woken you up with it before."

"Well you did wake me up with it," she replied. "Whose to say that I wanted it in the first place?"

"Cora, I'm shocked. Do you not love me or want me any more?" he asked. Baxter could picture his Lordship pouting at his wife, and became positive of her mental image when she heard her Ladyship giggling and his Lordship laughing.

"How could I not want such a handsome man?" she asked. "What on Earth would I do, or be, without you? You're everything to me." Baxter smiled on the other side of the door, unsure as to whether or not she wanted to imagine Lady Grantham without her loving Lord at her side. Even when he had been in America, Lady Grantham hadn't really been herself. She was brought back to the real world by the sound of the bed hitting the wall, followed by Lady Grantham's giggles.

"Cora, seeing as I don't want to imagine you with another man, I'm inclined to agree with you, but every time you say something like that, I feel as though you've pictured yourself without me," his Lordship said.

"Sometimes I can't help but think how my life would be different if I had accepted any of the other proposals I got from other men," she said. "But I don't think of them with any sense of happiness. You and my happiness are the same thing Robert. If I don't have you, I can't be happy. I love you too much."

"I'm glad to hear it," he replied, and Baxter heard the sounds of a delicate, but still vary passionate kiss from the other side of the door. She smiled and decided she should leave. She and Mr Bates would have to wait a little while longer to get to work properly.


	7. Bates

**Chapter Seven: Bates**

_December 1924_

Christmas was one of John Bates' favourite times of the year. Downton was beautiful, the house was full of happiness and cheer, beautifully decorated and oozing festive cheer. Yet Downton was usually full of happiness, so Christmas would only intensify the current mood of the house. It was especially noticeable, however, with his employers who lately, had become even more in touch with their feelings for each other, spending more and more time talking, being somewhat silly and simply spending time together. This Christmas season however, he had noticed that they were spending more time than usual in their bedroom.

John Bates was not a stupid man. He did not believe for one minute that they were just getting more sleep due to the holidays wearing them out as they were getting older. Alas he had a sneaking suspicion that they were simply engaging in 'terrific fun,' he believed he had heard it called, with each other more and more often. Miss Baxter was mending Lady Grantham's nightgowns more often, Lord Grantham was in particularly good spirits in the morning, sometimes complete with red marks on his neck, or a button that had popped off of his pyjama shirt. Instead of asking though, he would simply smile and go about his work. He had Anna; he knew what it was like to be happily married and very much in love. And not that anyone at the house knew it yet, but he and Anna were happier than ever this holiday season, as they were finally expecting their first child.

It was Christmas Eve morning when Bates arrived upstairs at the time Lord Grantham had asked him to go up. He knew that Lord Grantham wouldn't be sleeping in his dressing room, so he tried to simply walk in - only to find that the door was locked. He cursed under his breath. How and why was it locked didn't make sense to him in any capacity. He tried once again, trying to figure out who was in there and why they would need the door locked. He waited for a few moments before trying again, still no way of getting in. He knew that knocking would be pointless, as his Lordship wasn't in there, the code being that Bates would go in and knock on the dividing door between the dressing room and the bedroom. He couldn't do that if he couldn't get in.

He thought for a moment before glancing at the door to the main bedroom. The only risk in knocking was that Lady Grantham would open the door and he'd see her in her dressing gown, which he'd done before, during the war when Mr Crawley was missing, and even a few times when she had looked in on his Lordship changing for bed, letting him know that she was waiting. He figured it was either that or waiting outside the dressing room for some unknown length of time. He walked to the other door, and raised his hand to knock. He could hear her Ladyship giggling, so he knew they were awake.

They may have been awake, but if they were in the middle of something, he did not want to interrupt his employers. "Cora, come back to the bed," he heard his Lordship say, her Ladyship giggling again in reply.

"You'll have to come and get me Robert," he heard Lady Grantham reply a moment later. Bates heard the bed creak after a moment and his Lordship groan.

"Cora, please," his Lordship begged. "I just want to cuddle and you go running across the room."

"I want you to catch me Robert," she replied. "It'll be fun, and if you really love me as you claim to, and as much as I know you do, you won't mind chasing me again. Besides, think of it like this. You know you're the only man who has a chance of catching me."

"I was the only man who could ever catch you, even when we were courting. Even before I proposed. Other men tried, but you were already mine, weren't you?" he asked softly. "You were too in love with me to accept all those others."

"There weren't that many Robert," she said with a giggle, obviously having avoided his grasp. "But yes, you caught me the moment we laid eyes on each other. I fell in love in that moment."

"I know you did, and I think I did too, only I didn't realize it, because I thought that since I was after you for your money, I couldn't love you as well," he owned, her Ladyship shrieking.

_Poor woman_, Bates thought. _He must have caught her by talking about how much he loves her. She's always frozen with happiness when he does that. Although after being married for 35 years to each other, he'd know how to make her happy._

He heard Lord Grantham place his wife on the bed, followed by another squeak of the mattress, signalling the fact that his Lordship was on the bed as well. Then he heard the sounds of kissing through the wall. And as he turned around, after thinking that they'd be a while and he should go downstairs, he heard their voices one last time.

"Cora, I'm glad I caught you, and I love you with all my heart."

"There was no other man for me, my love, it's always been you, and I love you with every fibre of my being."

Bates smiled and walked back down to the Servant's hall. _A Merry Christmas indeed_, he thought. _It certainly is the most wonderful time of the year._


End file.
